Teachers' Competencies for Multilingual Foreign Language Classrooms

Abstract

Being multilingual is no longer the exception but rather the norm in today's diverse language‐learning classrooms where learners are quite likely to learn other foreign languages while simultaneously acquiring the institutional language of the community. The English as a foreign language classroom (EFL) needs to represent a platform that helps to raise multilingual awareness whereby the remaining languages (home and foreign) of the learners are not neglected. Although there is a growing body of research on multilingualism, the practical application of theoretical findings and/or professional development initiatives has not yet fully found its way into regular classroom practices. Mixed results of the effects of professional development training on multilingual practices for the classroom lead to a discussion about the teachers' competencies and associated factors for and in the multilingual classroom, as well as the potential and risk as seen through teachers' lenses. Finally, future recommendations are outlined for teaching practices in multilingual foreign‐language‐learning classrooms.